How to Keep Your Pet Safe and Calm This Halloween
Between the costumes, the mountains of sweets piling up on the counter and the kids vibrating with excitement, Halloween is a lot to manage at the best of times. But if you’ve got a dog or a cat in the house, there’s an extra layer of stress coming your way on the 31st — and it’s worth getting ahead of it now.
The Irish Blue Cross has issued a timely reminder to pet-owning families ahead of Halloween, urging owners to keep their animals safely indoors after dark and to be aware of some risks that are easy to overlook in the middle of all the chaos.
Fireworks and front doors: the basics
It might seem obvious, but the combination of fireworks, excitable children in strange costumes and a constantly opening front door can push even the most laid-back pet into a panic. Corina Fitzsimons, Communications Executive at The Irish Blue Cross, puts it plainly: “The noise and flashing lights from fireworks can be terrifying for pets, who may try and escape to get away from them.”
Her advice is to make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date before Halloween night arrives — your current phone number and address, not the ones you had three years ago when you registered. If your dog wears a collar or harness, check that their ID tag is still properly attached. It’s one of those things you mean to do and never quite get around to.
When the trick-or-treaters start ringing the bell, the Irish Blue Cross recommends having your pet safely behind at least one closed door before you open up. Fitzsimons also suggests disabling your doorbell for the evening to cut down on additional stress, and using sound desensitisation techniques to help your pet cope better with fireworks in future years.
The charity also advises feeding and walking dogs before it gets dark and keeping them on a lead even for toilet breaks in the garden — spooked dogs can bolt fast and far.
The sweet treats that aren’t so sweet for pets
Most of us know chocolate is a no-go for dogs and cats. But with the sheer volume of sweets coming through the front door at Halloween, it’s worth a reminder to keep the whole haul well out of reach — and not just the chocolate.
Dr Rocio Bayod Crespo, Head of Veterinary Services at The Irish Blue Cross, flags something that not every pet owner is aware of: “Some sugar-free sweet treats also contain xylitol which is extremely dangerous, even in small doses.” Xylitol turns up in all sorts of things — sugar-free chewing gum, some sweets and even certain peanut butters — and it can be seriously harmful to pets. If you think your pet has eaten anything they shouldn’t have, the advice is to seek veterinary attention straight away. Don’t wait to see if they seem fine.
Pumpkins aren’t as innocent as they look either
This one might surprise you. Plain cooked pumpkin is actually safe for dogs in moderation — but raw pumpkin is a different story and can cause blockages. So if you’ve got carved jack-o-lanterns at a height a dog could reach, it’s worth keeping an eye on things. Candles inside pumpkins are also worth rethinking if your pet has access to the same space.
None of this needs to ruin Halloween — it’s still one of the best nights of the year, especially with kids in the house. It’s just worth taking ten minutes before the 31st to do a quick pet safety sweep: update the microchip details, check the tag, move the sweets, and plan where the dog or cat will be when the doorbell starts going mad.
For more information and practical advice on keeping your pet safe this Halloween, visit BlueCross.ie/Halloween.
